7 small steps to a healthier heart

First comes the test or scare that tells you something has to change in how you’re taking care of your heart.

Next comes the feeling of being overwhelmed at the thought of a major health or lifestyle overhaul.

The solution? Start with small steps, said Claude-Laurent Sader, MD, FACC, a cardiologist with Cape Cod Healthcare’s Cardiovascular Center in Hyannis.

“We’re always seeing these situations where the patients have either had a major cardiac event or have had a scare of some sort in their health and all of a sudden they’re realizing, ‘wow, this is happening. I thought I was healthy. Now they are telling me I have to change things and I don’t know where to start.’”

The first small step is to realize you are responsible for your own health, Dr. Sader said. That means, for example, making sure you get to medical appointments, he said.

“The doctors are here to help you. The nurses and the nurse practitioners and the mid-level medical care team are there for you, but if you don't take ownership and you don't show up, they can't help you,” he said.

Next, start with small changes that might seem insignificant but will eventually add up and help change bigger habits, Dr. Sader said.

“They do add up,” he said. “They might not be the remedy that treats everything, but I think it would help us stay healthier. And that’s really what we all try to do: Stay healthy and do the best thing we can based on our current understanding of cardiovascular health and science.”

So, what are some easy, small steps to better cardiac health? Here are some suggestions from Dr. Sader:

1. Take your medicine. “Take your medicines; that’s a pretty simple step,” he said. “Listen to your prescribing doctors or your doctor or your team. Maybe now you will take those medicines on a more regular basis and be more committed to your prescriptions or to your medical therapy. Be compliant." If you’re having problems with a medication or the pharmacy is having trouble keeping it in stock, tell your doctor.
2. Make that specialist appointment or screening appointment you’ve been postponing. That’s another way to take ownership of your health, Dr. Sader said. Perhaps you’ve postponed appointments because of the pandemic or just procrastination. But now is the time to schedule your colonoscopy, mammogram, ophthalmologist or dental appointment, and then show up. Bad dental hygiene can contribute to cardiac atherosclerosis, valve infections and myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle. And regular eye check-ups are important for anyone with diabetes or pre-diabetes, he said.
3. Work on one bad habit. If you do nothing else, try to quit smoking. Clinicians now have medication and other tools to help you quit.
4. Exchange one unhealthy food for a healthy one. “Forget that doughnut this morning, have an apple,” Dr. Sader said. Long term, you may have to make bigger dietary changes that might be helped by a consultation with a nutritionist but start with small changes like trying to eat less processed meat or skipping dessert when you go out. Cut back on alcohol.
5. Walk more, sit less. “If you want to change one little thing in your life, start doing some physical activity or some exercise,” Dr. Sader said. “Maybe walk 10 or 15 minutes a day or, if the weather is nice, go walk the beach for 10 minutes a day. Just adding 10 or 15 minutes of exercise a day – simply walking – would be monumental for your cardiovascular health.”
6. Hang out with a friend. The last two years of isolation have been hard on people’s health and Dr. Sader said he’s seen patients, particularly elderly ones, deteriorate because they were stuck at home. “There’s a social and mental deconditioning that we’ve seen recently that is just completely brutal,” he said. Studies have shown that loneliness rivals smoking and obesity as a health risk. Restart your social life and your support system, he said, whether that's family dinners or your church choir - "whatever kept you mentally and socially in a good place."
7. Lower your stress level. “We all build up a lot of anxiety in our body and in our mind, and stress is definitely a bad thing, a bad actor for the heart. It can really affect your health and your cardiovascular health in very, very, serious fashion,” Dr. Sader said. Try meditation, yoga, or even talking to a friend, and if that doesn't help, talk to your doctor about medication or a referral to a mental health professional.